AUSTIN – First off after his victorious campaign, Rick Perry plans to exchange one kind of fatigue for another: He's going deer hunting. Then he will set his sights on a legislative agenda sure to include stricter appraisal caps and more law enforcement money for the border.

But the big thing Mr. Perry expects as he extends his historically lengthy term as governor is a little less acrimony than he has endured – and helped create – in the past six years.

"Your common sense tells you that you've got things going along in pretty good shape here, so why shouldn't it be – I don't ever use the word easier – I'll say less contentious," Mr. Perry said.

A change in tenor could be the most momentous aspect of a third Perry term. Freshly confident with a new four years and with his seventh year in the Governor's Mansion ahead, Mr. Perry could leave a lasting mark on the state that few governors have.

Where he will lead was suggested in his campaign and in his legislative history. How he gets there will determine his legacy.

As governor and lieutenant governor, Mr. Perry has presided over five regular legislative sessions. He pushed through a bloody GOP redistricting plan that took three special sessions. He pushed hard for popular GOP issues – a constitutional ban on gay marriage and strict limits on lawsuits – that fueled deep partisan rancor. And in the 2003 economic downturn, he led the fight to slash the state budget and services by almost $9 billion.

"I know I'm not popular because of tough times," he said, addressing the fact that most voters cast a ballot for someone else. "Hard, difficult decisions aren't fun for anybody. I understand – I had to make them."

Democrats disagree, saying Mr. Perry engaged in these fights with relish and drove a partisan agenda to feed his conservative base. Democrats and moderates, they contend, were never invited.

But earlier this year, Mr. Perry did turn to a Democrat – former political rival John Sharp – to devise a plan that could pass the Legislature, appease the courts and mend a helplessly entangled school-finance system. It won with bipartisan support.

With school finance solved – for the time being – Mr. Perry finds himself sitting atop what appears to be an $8 billion surplus for the legislative session starting in less than two months. It looks like better times ahead.

"There's no big gnarly thing looming on the horizon," he said, adding that having enough money makes most things easier around the Legislature.

He said that he hoped to send a message with Mr. Sharp's appointment that he's more willing to work across the aisle, and he thinks the Democrats responded.

He attributed most of the rancor to the Republican takeover of the House in 2002.

"You've got members now who are comfortable in their roles," Mr. Perry said. "Democrats will be the loyal opposition, the minority, but they will also realize we've got to work together and get things done for Texas.

"And I think the Republicans are learning, you know what, take your foot off their throat and work with these guys and get things done for Texas," Mr. Perry said.

The loyal opposition leader, Rep. Pete Gallego, D-Alpine, said he appreciates the sentiment but doesn't hold out much hope for a more conciliatory Mr. Perry.

"Governor Perry reaches across the aisle to deal with Democrats when he absolutely has to," Mr. Gallego said. "It was late in the fourth quarter when he talked John Sharp into helping him on the tax issue. He doesn't do that unless he's pretty much desperate."

Mr. Gallego noted that the governor already is talking about giving taxes back to businesses – even before it's been collected – because of the surplus. He said he and other Democrats have pleaded with the Republican leadership to instead invest more in schools.

And he said relations are likely to be contentious next year if the governor tries to place caps on how much money local governments can raise or set caps on property appraisals. Democrats will be fighting for local control so that cities, counties and community colleges can set their own budgets and deal with their own tax issues.

Elna Christopher, a spokeswoman for the Texas Association of Counties, said she expects a tough fight on appraisal caps, which she believes would skew true property values and choke off local government services.

She said school property taxes have been the biggest burden on taxpayers, yet it's the cities and counties that would be shackled if the state set strict revenue limits.

"We're a drive-by shooting victim if there ever was one," Ms. Christopher said.

Mr. Gallego said he would warn the cities and counties to gear up and prepare for a fight.

"I fully expect he will do appraisal and revenue caps. Talk radio is driving this train. The conservative right has been Governor Perry's base in recent years, and he'll try to make them happy," Mr. Gallego said. "Trying to find common ground has not been his forte."

But Mr. Perry said he is open to different ideas within his own perimeters of low taxes, limited regulation and small government.

And he said he has even learned something from his challengers in this campaign. Well, at least one of them.

"The most interesting person I found on the campaign trail was Kinky [Friedman]. I think his heart is in the right place," Mr. Perry said.

"I've actually given some thought to how do you use a guy like him in the next four years to reach out to a different set of people that maybe you don't reach," Mr. Perry said.

He imagines Mr. Friedman also has learned something about his own campaign theme: "How hard can it be?" Answer: Pretty tough.

"And I can tell you, having done both," the governor said. "Governing is harder than campaigning. By a substantial margin."

E-mail choppe@dallasnews.com